Katarzyna Ziminska (violin) Julia Samojlo (piano) play:
Franck: Violin Sonata in A
Ravel: Tzigane
Saint-Saens: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
The Violin Sonata (1886) is Franck's best-known work: a superb synthesis of his own uniquely rich harmonic language and thematic cyclicism and the Viennese Classical tradition that he came to hold so dear in the later stages of his career. The Sonata was composed as a wedding present for Ysaÿe, who performed it at his matrimonial celebrations in September 1886. The Sonata begins not with a fiery quick movement, but rather with a poetic Allegretto moderato in 9/8 time. After a tentative opening gesture, the music builds to a compelling fortissimo climax. The tender relief of the first movement's conclusion is extremely short-lived, however, as a low sixteenth note rumbling in the piano soon overflows into a full-blooded Allegro.The coda, initially misterioso but increasingly tumultuous, provides an electrifying finish. The tranquil, almost other-worldly middle section of the third movement introduces the two striving themes, with characteristic triplet-rhythm accompaniment, that will return in glorious attire in the Finale. The total defeat that seems to mark the conclusion of the third movement is immediately dispelled by the happy opening of the Finale. Although the initial melody, treated in exact canonic imitation between the instruments, is original to the last movement, the first of the two melodies from the central section of the third movement also makes a return. A tremendous buildup climaxes in the passionate fortissimo return of the second of the two third-movement themes - as the dam bursts the opening canonic theme returns once more to bring the work to a cheerful close.
Katarzyna Zimińska started playing the violin at the age of seven and graduated with distinction from the violin class of J. Hazuka at the Nowowiejski Music School in Gdansk, Poland in 2009. She has participated in many national and international competitions winning several prizes and distinctions. She has performed in countries such as Poland, Italy, Austria, France, Russia and England appearing at concert halls including the Polish Baltic Philharmony, Polish Baltic Opera House, Philharmony in Łódź, Polish Radio Witold Lutosławski Concert Hall in Warsaw, Musikverein in Vienna, Mozarteum in Salzburg, UNESCO Concert Hall in Paris and the Barbican Hall in London. Katarzyna has performed as a soloist with orchestras including Cappella Gedanensis and Camerata Baltica. She is a scholar of the J&S Pro Bono Poloniae Foundation's prestigious program, ‘The Open Musical Safety Pin Philharmonic’ 2004-09. Katarzyna has worked with such internationally renown artists as Krzesimir Dębski, Krzysztof Jakowicz, Adam Klocek, Krzysztof Śmietana, David Takeno, Rachel Podger, Marie-Tempere Bezrodny, Maria Radicheva, David Dolan, Pierre Doumenge and Alasdair Tait. In addition to solo activities she has worked as a part of London Symphony Orchestra within their Discovery projects. Furthermore, she is leader of ‘The Dissonance Quartet’, a group that works closely with ‘Belcea String Quartet’. She is currently entering her third year of the undergraduate course at the Guildhall School of music and drama, receiving a scholarship. She studies violin with Stephanie Gonley, and viola with Krzysztof Chorzelski.
Julia Samojlo is currently a Guildhall Artist Fellow at Guildhall School of Music and Drama receiving artistic guidance from Ronan O'Hora and Graham Johnson and works towards DMA degree of Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw under supervision of Maja Nosowska. She has performed widely through Europe and Israel in important concert halls like The Concertgebouw, The Rudolfinum, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, The Warsaw Philharmonic, Witold Lutoslawski Concert Studio of The Polish Radio. She has appeared in concerts with Sinfonia Varsovia, Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of Poznan Philharmonic with conductors such as Jacek Kaspszyk, Łukasz Borowicz, Krzesimir Dębski, Marek Moś. On the occasion of Stefan Kisielewski's anniversary Polish Radio invited her to record his Piano Concerto with Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Katowice conducted by Jacek Kaspszyk. On 1st April 2012 she will make her Barbican Hall debut at the Pre- LSO recital with baritone Szymon Komasa and soprano Augusta Hebbert. Julia was born in Szczecin, Poland and graduated from the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz where she studied with Tatiana Shebanova. Her teachers also included Szabolcs Esztenyi and Pamela Lidiard. She worked in master classes with Emanuel Krasovsky, Alexander Kobrin, Lee Kum- Sing, Jerome Rose, Victor Derevianko, Alon Goldstein. Julia received numerous prizes and artistic scholarships including 1st prize at The International Competition of Young Performers in Athens,1st prize for the best performance of specially commissioned piece by Israeli composer (Tel Hai International Piano Master Classes), Prime Minister's Scholarship and Scholarship of Minister of Culture and National Heritage.
